New Fairfield school employee arrested on sexual assault of middle school student

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT. (WFSB) - A man was arrested for a sexual assault incident that happened in New Fairfield.

State police say that an officer learned of a complaint that was filed alleging that 26-year-old Christopher Fernandes was inappropriately interacting with two juveniles through text messages. The victims were juniors at New Fairfield High School.

The officer met with Fernandes inside the principal’s office at New Fairfield Middle School to try and get him to consent to a search of his device. He declined and provided his phone number to authorities.

One of the victims said that he forced her to have sexual intercourse with him on January 21st in the parking lot of the high school after a varsity basketball game. Police were able to use security camera footage and DNA swabs to arrest him.

New Fairfield Public Schools Superintendent Kenneth G. Craw confirmed Fernandes was a paraeducator at New Fairfield Middle School since the 2023-24 school year and has coached the high school boys’ freshman basketball team for the past three seasons.

Craw says Fernandes was placed on administrative leave on March 6, 2025.

Fernandes is charged with 2nd degree sexual assault, 4th degree sexual assault, use of a computer to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, harmful communication with a minor, and risk of injury to a minor.

He was held on a $350,000 bond and was set to appear in Danbury Superior Court Thursday morning.